Thursday night, several organizations participated in Pep Rally, one of Homecoming’s biggest events. Teams performed practiced routines in a competition to earn points. These organizations spend hours of time preparing for this event. Lacey Renfro is a sophomore and captain of the pep rally squad for Phi Mu Fraternity and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. She said she was excited to see how her team would do Oct. 24.
Renfro was picked last semester to lead her sorority and another fraternity for Pep Rally. “I started working on the routine around August,” she said.
Renfro spent most of the summer coming up with ideas for Pep Rally this year to top last year’s performances. She even created moves that were inspired by dances she had seen in movies. However, she said there is not one certain routine she choseto incorporate into her routine. “It is a mixture of the things I saw and liked along with things I thought the team would like,” Renfro said.
Renfro was selected captain of the squad last spring. When she joined Phi Mu in 2012, she tried out for the team and made it. Phi Mu and their 2012 partner Sigma Phi Epsilon received second place for their overall performance. “When I joined last year, I watched how my coach went about leading the team and teaching the routines and I knew that’s something I wanted to do,” Renfro said.
Renfro has many years of experience as a competitive cheerleader that she said she believes helped her in picking a team and organizing a routine. Rachel Kerr, a senior and Pep Rally chair for Tech Activities Board, explained that planning for Pep Rally is started the April previous to the event. During competition, each team is scored on technique, presentation and spirit. The spirit from the crowd at the Pep Rally competition helps, as well.
Pep Rally is not only just for organizations to compete. The Golden Eagles football team will be in attendance and presented to the crowd. The Tech cheerleading and dance teams will also perform routines.
The Homecoming court will be introduced during the Pep Rally intermission, also.